Let Them Lie
by Vapor2008
Summary: What happens when Daniel discovers a way to put SG-1 back in the past? Not a time travel story!
1. Daniel

Daniel Jackson

Dr. Daniel Jackson hurriedly made his way through the halls of the SGC. At two o'clock in the morning there was only one person on base he could share his news with and he rushed to the room. He hadn't discovered the secret to the universe but his find was big enough it needed to be shared.

He banged on the closed door with all his might stopping only when he saw light slip through the crack at the bottom. The door opened to reveal a startled looking Vala. For a moment he was sorry he had woken her, but his excitement took over. Overly eager, as he was, he waited only long enough for her to focus on him.

"Vala! I've got it!" Daniel's excited face studied Vala's stern one for several moments before she spoke.

"Daniel. It's two in the morning. Why aren't you asleep?"

Daniel refused to let his good mood be spoiled by Vala's lack of interest. He pushed through and moved to the middle of her room. Sighing, Vala closed the door and turned to face him.

"Daniel, what can you possibly have to show me at two in the morning?"

"Remember when we went to P3X-494? We found that device with all the ancient writing on it. It's taken me a while but I finally translated it." Daniel paused and looked expectantly at Vala.

"Okay. First of all, I don't remember the device that entirely well. You were mad at me and made me stay as far away from you as I could. All I saw was the box you brought it back in. Second, I give. What does the device say?"

"It talks about granting those with the knowledge of the ages a gift that will bring great joy. Obviously, the inscription was put on before the device was working because it says, 'when completed nothing will compare'. Now the most interesting part of the text talks about increasing life. From what I can make out it means more." He stopped again, waiting for Vala to understand. He saw the passive look in her eyes and knew she wasn't even going to try.

"More, better, longer…"

Suddenly, Vala's eyes were alight with understanding.

"Longer? Longer life? As in what Teal'c has?"

Daniel grinned.

Doubt began to seep into Vala's eyes as she mulled over what she had been told.

"How?"

"I don't know. I figured that would be something Sam could figure out. I have to wonder though…"

Vala looked at him steadily.

"Wonder what?"

Daniel glanced at her. "Well, if the device was supposed to give you long life, why would the Ancients just abandon it with their outpost? I would think they would have wanted to take it with them."

Vala moved to sit on the edge of her bed and she looked up at Daniel.

"Daniel." He turned to look at her. "Maybe there was a very good reason they left it behind. Obviously, they didn't want it. We should pay attention to that little fact. Don't you think you should study it more before you have Sam try to find a way to turn it on?"

Daniel just looked at her. He couldn't believe how much she had changed since he first met her three years ago. He studied her anxious face carefully. This woman had gone from an annoying, flirty, thief to someone who could balance him out stride for stride. The Vala he met would be demanding they turn it on at once; however, the Vala sitting in front of him was urging caution. It was a side of her he was still adjusting to.

"Vala, I admire your caution, really I do. But if I didn't think it was safe, I would never have mentioned turning it on."

"Daniel, I want to believe you, but I really think we should wait. Something doesn't feel right to me."

"Okay. Well, if something does go wrong I give you permission to say, 'I told you so'." That earned him a small smile from her.

"Okay."

Daniel stayed and talked to her for a little while longer, but decided to let her have a few more hours of sleep. As he made his way back to his lab, he couldn't help but smile to himself in eagerness as he anticipated Sam's arrival.

**----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**This is a story I wrote a few years ago. There is a lot more to come, but please, let me know what you think as it goes. Thanks!!  
**


	2. Sam

Sam

"Sam! Sam, wait up!"

Sam turned to see Daniel running to catch up to her.

"Hey, Daniel. Wow, did you get any sleep last night at all?" Sam took in the dark bags under his eyes with concern.

"Uh, not really. I was working on something and I want you to take a look at it."

On the way to Daniel's lab, Sam listened carefully as Daniel explained what he had discovered. He recounted discovering what the text said and his conversation with Vala. The more she heard, the more she found herself agreeing with Vala's idea of waiting. In the end, though, she decided to trust Daniel and agreed to see if she could get it to work. Before she started though, she called a briefing with SG-1 and General Landry.

Sam watched as everyone came in. The only person missing in the end was Teal'c. For a second Sam wondered when he was going to return from his time with the Jaffa, but then focused on the briefing. Daniel told of where and how they had come across the device and talked on the inscriptions he had found on the sides of it. When he began to explain what he believed the device did, Landry stopped him.

"You're saying you believe the device can lengthen human life? How?"

"Well, sir," Sam cut in. "We're really not sure yet. That's why I'm going to begin work on it. To see if I can learn how to turn it on."

"Is that…wise?"

Everyone looked to see Brigade General Jack O'Neill standing in the doorway to Landry's office. Sam and Mitchell shot out of their chairs.

"Sir!" they both said in unison.

Jack looked disgusted.

"Sit down. I'm on vacation. I'm pretending I don't belong to the military for the time being."

Sam looked over and took a moment to appreciate the blue jeans, black tee, and brown leather jacket Jack was wearing. Jack looked at her and she gave him a small smile.

"Anyway, as I was saying." Jack continued. "Do you really think it's wise to play around with some device the Ancients just left behind? Shouldn't that tell you something?"

Vala nearly jumped out of her chair with excitement.

"That's what I told him!"

Jack glared at her and Vala made a face back.

Daniel looked at Vala and sighed. Then he turned to Jack.

"We're not going to turn it on; we're just going to figure out how it works. After that, we'll discuss whether or not to turn it on."

Jack nodded in agreement and moved to take the last chair at the table by Vala. He gave Vala a sideways glance and then turned to Sam.

"So, when do you start?"

"Actually, right now sir."

"I think I'll go do some more research," Daniel said as he also got up from the table.

One by one the others left until it was just Jack and Vala. She looked at him with her biggest smile and started to say something.

Jack quickly cut her off by getting up, mumbling something about helping Sam, and quickly left the room.

Sam held a small part of the device under a highly focused magnifier. Without warning her former CO's face appeared.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Sam held back a giggle at the sudden blast from the past.

"I'm trying to determine how this works, remember?"

She tried to sound irritated but knew she had failed.

Jack straightened up and looked down at her.

"Ah, yes. And how goes it?"

"Actually, not so well, sir. This is an incredible piece of technology. I can't even find what it's using as a power source."

Jack looked skeptical.

"Look, Carter, I know I'm not some genius like you, but it has to have a power source. I mean, things just don't run on thin air."

Sam shrugged in frustration.

"Of course it can't run on thin air. I just can't find what it does run on."


	3. Vala

Vala

"Daniel, all I'm saying is maybe we should just take it back and leave it where we found it."

Vala turned to Daniel with pleading eyes. She watched as he carefully studied her face, trying to read what was there.

"You really have a bad feeling about this, don't you?"

Vala nodded and stiffened slightly when he moved to stand in front of her.

"Vala, I promise nothing is going to happen. Okay? Everything will be just fine."

She looked up at him. He wanted her to trust him, she knew that, but she couldn't. There was so much she should tell him. But she was afraid. She was pretty sure she knew what the device really was, but she didn't want to say anything until she saw it. If it was what she thought though, it should never be turned on.

She saw in his eyes the second he realized there was something she wasn't telling him. She turned away too late. He caught her jaw in his hand and gently turned her face to his.

"Vala? What is it?"

"We should go check on Sam. See what's she's found out."

She just needed to see the device. Then she could tell Daniel everything.

Daniel nodded reluctantly and followed her out.

By the time they got to Sam's lab, Vala had regained her composure. They walked in to see Sam working hard and Jack spinning in circles in her chair.

"Hey, Sam." Vala said brightly as she entered. "Anything fun to tell us?"

"Actually, yeah. I can't find the power source."

Daniel looked up. "What?"

Vala's face mimicked his surprise. "How is that possible?"

Sam shrugged helplessly. "I have no idea."

Daniel moved closer to the device and began to run his fingers over the inscriptions. Vala moved in for a closer look and dread seeped in when she recognized the device, just as Daniel involuntarily pressed a button he had found. Before she could say anything, a bright beam of light came out and swept over the room, pausing once on each person.

"What's it doing?"

Vala glanced at Jack and replied.

"It's scanning your memories."

Daniel's gaze shot to her and he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it quickly when she gave him a look that said, 'wait'.

Vala steeled her emotions for what she knew was coming. She resigned herself to accept the events that she knew were now inevitable. She unconsciously moved closer to Daniel's side. The others would eventually be able to deal with it. They would survive, but this was going to tear him apart.

**Well, now you all know why Vala is being so cautious about this. She knows more than anyone knows. You'll find out what's going on in the next chapter or two!! Keep reviewing please! I appreciate it and it helps me to improve what I have been doing. Thanks!**


	4. Jack

Jack

"Dad?"

Jack felt a slight tug on his hand and glanced down. What he saw robbed him of all breath.

"Charlie?" He stood starring at his son. His dead son.

"Dad. What's going on?"

"I…", Jack looked up for help but what he saw threw him into even more turmoil.

Jacob Carter was standing in front of Sam trying to tell her he was okay. He saw a woman that had to be Vala's mother talking to her, but watched as Vala ignored her and moved to take Daniel's hand who was staring wide-eyed at his parents.

"Dad?"

The sound of his son's voice brought Jack back to the reality at hand. He looked down at the boy next to him.

"Who are you?"

The boy looked ready to cry.

"Dad. It's me. Charlie."

Jack looked up to find all eyes on him. They had always turned to him in the past and they did so now.

"I think it's time we paid a visit to Doctor Lam."

Jack looked at everyone standing next to their respective family members, all except Vala. He noted that she stayed very close to Daniel's side. For a second he hoped she really had changed like Daniel said, and wouldn't hurt the kid. Jack suddenly remembered, though, he had a few questions he wanted to ask her, but when Dr. Lam came back he put all questions on hold.

Dr. Lam started straight away. "I have run every test possible. These are the people they claim to be. There is no difference, not even on the smallest level."

Jack looked to the boy at his side and knew his life had just changed drastically and he had no idea how to handle it.

**A full explanation is coming up in the next two chapters. I'm curious though to see how many people knew this was what the device was going to do. Honesty please! ******


	5. Daniel 2

Daniel

Vaguely aware that Vala was standing by his side, Daniel stared at his parents on the hospital bed. Everything about them was the way he remembered, even how they smelled. He knew he should say something, but just couldn't think of anything to say. He felt greatly relieved when he heard Vala speak from beside him.

"Hi. I was just wondering if there was anything we could get for you guys. Food? Something to drink? It's not quite time for dinner but I'm sure we could get you anything you like."

Daniel's father smiled at her.

"Actually, if we could we'd like to go somewhere to talk. I have a feeling there's a lot Daniel needs to tell us. We've missed so much of his life."

For the first time, Daniel found his voice.

"Wait. You mean you know you've been dead?"

Daniel's mother spoke up.

"Of course we do. We can actually remember dying."

Daniel could only stare at them. Luckily, he heard Jack speak up from somewhere behind him.

"Laundry wants us all in the briefing room ASAP. And that means everyone."

It took a few minutes to get everyone seated. Mitchell looked very uncomfortable being surrounded by people he knew were supposed to be dead.

General Laundry began.

"Okay people. Obviously something has happened and we are all here right now to find out how. Now, does anyone have any information that could be of help?"

Before anyone else could speak, Vala spoke up.

"I do, sir."


	6. Vala 2

Vala

General Laundry raised his eyebrows in obvious expectation.

"Well, do you plan on telling us?"

Vala glanced around for a second and then turned and spoke directly to Daniel.

"I've seen it used before. Many times actually. It was one of Quetesh's favorite toys. She would used it as a form of torture. The device does increase life, Daniel, just not the way you thought it did. I wasn't certain until I saw it, but once I did I knew there would be trouble. I didn't have time to say anything before you accidently turned it on."

"The device brings back the dead in your life that you cared about the most. Quetesh would bring back the dead family of a prisoner and then make that prisoner watch as she killed their loved one over and over until she got the information she wanted."

"She discovered what it did by accident when it brought my mother back from the dead. Because I was the host it scanned my memories not hers. She killed my mother a few times just to make sure the device really did what we thought it did."

Everyone simply stared at Vala for a second before Mitchell spoke up.

"So, if we ever decided it was necessary do you know how to reverse the process?"

Vala looked him straight in the eye.

"Yes."

With that one word, everyone knew what she meant. No one spoke for a long time.

General Laundry cleared his throat.

"People, hopefully it never comes to that. Let's just get everyone settled, we'll discuss this more tomorrow."

With that everyone was dismissed. One by one everyone got up and took their respective family members to a room they would be in for the time being.

Vala didn't move. Her mother reached over and placed a hand on top of Vala's folded ones.

"It will all be okay."

Vala simply nodded and looked up to see Daniel getting ready to leave with his parents. She got up to stop him.


End file.
